Sunday, August 19, 2012

Artist of the Day: Retral

For the last couple of years, a Southampton-based producer by the name of Retral has been skirting the edges of garage/dubstep stardom like a roulette ball round the numbers: just waiting to fall in. With two pretty hefty EPs and some scattered singles, he's displayed the ability to create music with 'that little bit extra kick' than his legion of contemporaries; however he's yet to release anything without a few duds to lessen the impact. The highs have always outweighed the lows, of course - take 'Paris '96' from 2012's Feeling Alone for instance, it ranks among the best tracks of the year with it's surprisingly relaxed mix of dynamic beats and what could easily be misheard as muffled cries for help - but suffice to say it's still been a little disappointing. We want great, not just good.

Fast-forward to the future: tomorrow, 'Black Hymn Records' will be releasing a collaboration between Retral and Sangam titled Himalayan Smoke. Initial spins have left the impression that it's remarkably mellow and atmospheric compared to his old releases: taking a slightly different, less insistent direction. No particular tracks have stood out so far, so only time will tell if there are any Paris '96's to be found. But it's pretty damn spectacular in its own way, nonetheless, and consistent at that. Well worth checking out for sure.